This October, Don’t Miss These Halloween Attractions in Nebraska

It may not be scary, but you’d be surprised how intimidating and manipulative the cats working in the Chicken Coop (at the Entrance) can be at School District 13. What’s the Chicken Coop? You’ll have to visit School District 13 Haunted Attraction to find out.

Halloween is a holiday that appeals to young and old, but unfortunately, the Halloween activities that the young enjoy are often very different from what titilates more mature audiences. Some Halloween events and venues have tried to solve this problem by offering both daytime and nighttime activities. Of course, there are some night-time Halloween events in Lincoln, NE that specifically cater to families and groups of people (some who like to be scared, some who don’t), like Boo-at-the-Zoo at Lincoln Children’s Zoo. Everyone, both young and old can get into the novelty of walking through the local zoo at night to look at creative light displays.

At School District 13 Haunted Attraction, we’ve worked hard to create a night-time Halloween event in Nebraska (and near Colorado!) that’s both edgy for adults as well as fun for kids because we know that it’s hard to please everyone when October rolls around. We can’t guarantee that your kids won’t cling to your apron strings as they walk the streets of Brule (or even while they’re standing in line to buy a hot dog) with the zombies and the other monsters stalking the alleyways and shadowy places, but the street monsters are relatively tame compared to those inside the haunts. And adults can go into the haunts for a full dose of fear, if that’s what they crave. Kids, on the other hand, can enjoy the bus ride with Coach Slappy and a walk through the Halloween-ified park, or a ride on the Lost Soul Train to see how the residents of this rural community of Brule decorate their houses. It’s an unforgettable experience that’s totally unique and family friends but yes, still terrifying for those who want that kind of experience. Bring the kids and your scaredy-cat friends. They’ll be okay. You can all roast marshmallows around the bon fire together while warding off the zombie football players and cheerleaders (it is a haunted school district, after all).

Below are some of the best Halloween attractions in Nebraska for families. These attractions were chosen because they’re fun for both adults and kids. Some are daytime attractions and some take place at night. If you do some careful planning, you could put together a Halloween road trip that takes in the best that Nebraska has to offer for the whole family and maybe even your friends too! Visit www.Hauntin.gs to find out if there are real haunted locations with real ghosts on your way across the state to add a little zing to Halloween weekend getaways.

Eastern Nebraska:

Family-friendly Halloween vacations in Nebraska can begin on the Eastern end of the state and proceed westward toward School District 13 Haunted Attraction at the Colorado border. Those who live in Eastern Nebraska will begin Halloween trips from there and proceed west along I-80. Again, this is a family-friend list of Halloween places to go with kids as well as adults.

The kids will love Boo-at-the-Zoo and chances are adults will too! It’s a tame way to spend a brisk autumn night, but that doesn’t diminish the fun of getting out and seeing the leaves blowing across the sidewalk in an unusual setting. In terms of Halloween getaways for the whole family, you should definitely consider Boo-at-the-Zoo in Lincoln, NE as a good warm-up location to get your Halloween vacation going. It’s a trick-or-treat event (so bring the costumes for the kids) and a fundraiser for the animals…something that you can feel good about doing while also having fun!

Vala’s is one of the most family-friendly Halloween attractions in Nebraska. There’s a lot to do there including a short corn maze and a pumpkin patch. Gretna is close to Omaha and Lincoln, which makes it a prime location. This is not a scary Halloween attraction, but if you’re doing a Halloween-inspired road trip, it will provide a nice balance to some of the other activities you’ll encounter on your way across Nebraska.

Roca Berry Farm specializes in daytime Halloween activities, but there’s a Scary Farm at night that’s also available. There’s a night-time hay rack ride that’s available for kids, but the haunts are rated 10+ so keep this in mind while planning Halloween weekend getaways. Roca Berry Farm is famous in the area as a pumpkin patch packaged with 30 or so other farm-style family-friendly Halloween activities.

Haunted Hollow does not specify a particular age-rating, but of all the haunted houses in Omaha, it has the most kid-friendly activities. In terms of scary activities, Haunted Hollow includes the Mike Myers House, the Nebraska Chainsaw Massacre, a 3 Story Haunted House, and the Villisca Museum. For kids, try out the free temporary tattoos, nightly movies under the stars (call ahead to find out whether they’re scary or not), a Freak Show, and a bon fire.

Central Nebraska

Some of you may start your Halloween weekend getaways from Central Nebraska and instead do a daytrip outbound in either direction depending on where you live. But if you’re starting from a central location in the state, below are some of the most family friendly Halloween events on offer that will be fun for all ages.

Fox Seasonal Farms in Broken Bow specializes in family friendly Halloween activities. Obviously this is a farm operation and so you can expect some activities similar to those you might experience at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch or Roca Berry Farm. Fox Seasonal Farms centers its operations around its pumpkin patch and it does have a Pumpkin Cannon if you’d like to experience punkin’ chunkin’ for yourself.

J’s Jack O’Lanterns is another central Nebraska pumpkin patch. It does offer a unique twist on a corn maze by doing alien-themed “crop circles”. They do have some night-time activities for teens. This is the only haunted house in Cozad, Nebraska that we’re aware of.

Kneeknocker Woods in Gibbon is unique in Nebraska as an exclusively animatronic haunted attraction. Apparently the lines move a little slowly at times so if you’re on a Halloween road trip and you’ve still got some miles to travel on your way across the state, arrive early or purchase a VIP pass. Kids under age 14 must be accompanied by an adult, but Kneeknocker Woods is an all-ages Halloween attraction.

The KidZone Booseum is obviously kid-friendly, but perhaps a little low on the scare-factor for adults. Nonetheless, it’s worth mentioning in an article about Halloween road trips because as you make your way across Nebraska, a pit-stop at the Kearney Booseum can help you eek out a few more hours in the car with the kids.

World Theatre Candlelight Ghost Tours-Kearney, NE

Nighttime Activity.

The World Theatre Ghost Tours in Kearney are not recommended for children under 8 years of age and they offer limited dates and times for this event so plan your Halloween trips accordingly. A little bit of paranormal pizzazz can be an excellent family activity for kids who are mature enough to grapple with ghosts, especially on a road trip. The World Theatre Ghost Tours are a fundraiser to help restore the theatre so you can feel good about spending a few bucks there.

Western Nebraska

So you’ve made it to Western Nebraska! Congratulations! The culture in this part of the state is surprisingly different than what you’ll find in the east. This is the Wild West…a place rife with the ghosts of pioneers and cowboys. If you started your Halloween road trip in Eastern Nebraska, you’ve probably already had a Halloween-on-the-Farm experience and you’re ready for something different…so here’s a list of some unique pickings to round out your Halloween experience!

Located conveniently along I-80, School District 13 is first and foremost a scary Halloween attraction featuring 5 haunted houses (including a haunted corn maze) in one location. Our haunts are rated PG-13 and designed to terrify. But the haunts are located throughout the small town (population 400), which is also haunted with zombies and monsters that are still a little scary, but kid-friendly nonetheless. School District 13 was designed using psychological “hacks” and some unexpected theatrics to give patrons young and old an amazing experience. The school itself is a real haunted location with its own resident ghosts and there are plenty of activities like the Lost Soul Train, the Hay Rack Ride, and the Photo Op Forest to keep the kids happy while you delve into the darker side by visiting the Prom Night Massacre, or any of our other 5 haunts. This is a one-of-a-kind haunted attraction in the USA. Come to see the haunts, the small town, or the farming activities surrounding it. Chances are, it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The North Platte Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch appears to still be an evolving project. Some years it features a corn maze, other years a pumpkin patch. There are a variety of other activities on offer here including paintball. Check in to see what’s scheduled before you go.

This haunted house in Gothenburg, NE is reputedly haunted by real ghosts as well as the masked and costumed kind. The Theater of Terror features classic horror movie icons, which sets it apart from the other western Nebraska haunt, School District 13, which only features its own unique characters. This is a one-haunt gig and they ask that kids under age 13 be accompanied by an adult.

Fanny’s Fruit Farm and Pumpkin Patch-Gurley, NE (near Sidney, NE)

Sometimes, the Jaycee’s puts on a haunted house in Sidney, Nebraska and there’s a small fundraiser haunted house in Lodgepole, but other than School District 13 in Brule, Fanny’s Fruit Farm and Pumpkin Patch is the only Halloween activity in the Sidney area. There are few corn mazes in Nebraska on this end of the state, but Fanny’s features TK’s Corn Maze along with other activities.